Note-sheet for musical instruments.



O. P. STODDARD.

NOTE SHEET FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913;

A Wooooooooooooooooooomrtuoooeoooooooooomahfin HM HUG THM H UU T unwnnl wunul l hnniwu wooooooooooooooQ Witnesses Inventor:

M% Charles Fszo dard,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlflE.

CHARLES F. STODDARD, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS;

NOTE-SHEET FOR MUSICAL insrnuivrnnrs.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. Sroonann, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of lvtlassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Note-Sheets for Musical Instruments, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to note sheets for automatic musical instruments, such, for eX- ample, as the perforated note sheet of the usual type; and to methods of making the same.

The invention is intended to provide a note sheet adapted to combine perforations for sounding notes with perforations for operating a note-sustaining mechanism in an unic ue and valuable cooperative relation.

The character of the invention may be best understood by reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing which represents diagrammatically the perforated note sheet.

In the drawing, the illustrative rows of perforations 1, 2 and 3, are so-called sustaining perforations which operate the loud or damper pedal mechanism or its equivalent or substitute in the automatic instrument. The effect of these sustaining perforations in player pianos, for instance, is to hold the dampers ofi of all the strings so as to prolong notes sounded by the note perforations and permit sympathetic vibration of other strings. As specifically illustrated, these sustaining perforations consist of small, substantially circular apertures separated by narrow bridges, a series of these small bridged perforations having the function and effect of a continuous perforation. While, for pu "poses of strength in the note sheet, these bridged perforations are somewhat to be preferred, they are not es sential and the invention is not limited thereto. Hence, where the sustaining perforations are referred to herein they are to be understood as including either a series of bridged small perforations or a continuous longer perforation.

In the illustrative note sheet diagrammed in the drawing, the note perforations indicated in full lines, represent those employed in the practice of this invention; whereas the prolongations of these full line note perforations, indicated by dotted lines, rep- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 18, 1911.

Patented Sept. 9,1913.-

Serial No. 655,256.

resent the lengths of the perforations which would occur in a note sheet of the type heretofore used and not possessing the characteristics of this invention. The arrow in the drawing indicates the assumed direction of travel of the illustrative note sheet on a tracker.

Referring to the drawing, the perforation 4i initiates the sounding of a note, the duration of which, upon the type of note sheet heretofore used, would be represented by the combined lengths of the full line perforation 4 and the dotted prolongation 5; that is tosay, in note sheets heretofore used, the note of perforation at would begin as the advance end of the perforation 4: reached the tracker and would be sustained so long as the prolongation 5 held the tracker vent open. In the practice of this invention, however, the perforation t may be merely long enough to cause the initial sounding of a noteas by causing the initial striking of a string in a player piano; in other words, it suflices in the illustrative instance, if the perforation 4t merely initiates the sounding of its note without materially sustaining it-e. 9. without holding the damper ofi the string in a player piano after the initial percussion. Thus, in accordance with this invention, the prolongation 5 may be omitted from the note sheet permitting the perforation to be substantially curtailed to the short length indicated by the full lines 4. In order to suit the composition to be played, however, the sustaining function performed in the usual note sheet by the prolongation 5 must be otherwise performed in order that the note initiated by the perforation 42 shall be sustained to desired duration. For this purpose, the loud or damper pedal mechanism in a player piano, for instance, is utilized and suitable perforations are provided in the note sheet to sustain the note by such mechanism throughout the de sired duration. For example, the sustaining perforation 1 overlaps the rear end of the note perforation at so that once the note has been sounded it is sustained throughout the length of the sustaining perforation.

As illustrated in the drawing, the sustaining perforation 1 terminates opposite the rear end of the dotted prolongation 5. Thus, the combined lengths of the perforation 4 and sustaining perforation 1 determine the duration of the note initiated by the former. Similarly, a perforation 6 may be intended for a note of considerably less duration than that of the note 4, such as would be sounded and sustained on the usual type of note sheet by the perforation 6 with a prolongation 7. In accordance with the present invention, the prolongation 7 may be omitted and the perforation 6 may be made merely long enough to initiate the sounding of a note which is sustained throughout the desired duration by the same pedal perforation 1 which sustains the note initiated by the perforation 4:. Also, the

perforation 8 may play a note intended to have still shorter duration such as would be sustained in the usual type of note sheet by prolongation 9. That prolongation 9 may beomitted and the note of the perforation S sustained also by sustaining perforation 1. Thus, it is possible to curtail note perforations very substantially and to sustain a note or a plurality thereof to desired durations by a single supplemental sustaining perforation (or the equivalent thereof for appropriately starting and stopping the operation of a damper pedal mechanism or the like). This curtailment of perforations avoids a substantial proportion of the cutting necessary to be done on note sheets as heretofore made, and thereby not only effects an economy, especially in the preparation of a master sheet by hand, but also results in a much stronger and more durable note sheet.

The note of perforation 10 is assumed to have substantially the duration of the note of perforation 8, and the former may be conveniently sustained as usual, merely by giving the perforation 10* the customary length so that the perforation both sounds the note and sustains it for the desired duration.

The note of perforation 11 is assumed, for example, to be a note of long duration which is to be sounded while the note 10 is being sustained. A perforation for the note 11 in note sheets heretofore used, would be given the length indicated by the dotted line prolongation 12; but in accordance with this invention the perforation is curtailed as shown, sufficiently to permit its rear end to overlap the sustaining perforation 2 which is continued to a suflicient length to sustain the note through the desired duration. Since the note of perforation 10 is not to be sustained beyond the duration represented by the length of the duration 10 itself, the advance end of the sustaining perforation 2 is located somewhat in the rear of the rear end of the note perforation 10; and for this purpose the illustrative perforation 11 is required to be somewhat longer than is necessary in the case of the perforations 4, 5 and 6; nevertheless, the perforation 11 is substantially curtailed as shown.

The note of perforation 13 is assumed to be a note of very long duration; for instance, about twice as long as the note of perforation 11; and in the .usual note sheet the perforation would have to be prolonged as indicated by the dotted lines 1 1. The note of the perforation 13 is to continue after the note of perforation 11 has ceased to sound, and, therefore, the perforation 13 is continued beyond the rear end of the sustaining perforation 2 (the end of which damps the note of perforation 11), and thereafter the note of perforation 13 is sustained by the sustaining perforation 3. Likewise a perforation 15, for a note of long duration is eX tended sufficiently to bridge over the hiatus in the sustaining operation between the perforation 2 and the perforation 3, and thereafter the note of perforation 15 is sustained by the pedal perforation 3, permitting the elongation 16 to be omitted.

The foregoing suflices to exemplify to those skilled in the art various possible applications of this invention to perforated note sheets and the like. There are known in the art various equivalents for the illustrative sustaining perforations 1, 2 and 3; for instance each series of small perforations 1, 2 and 3 (having in general the function of a single long perforation) operates so as to undamp the strings by the advance end of the series, to hold the strings undamped throughout the length of the series, and to re-damp the strings when the rear end of the series has passed the tracker, whereas it would be possible to substitute for each series a blank imperforate space and to interpose between the adjacent series 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, the perforation to re place the imperforate blank portions shown in the drawings, for example, as indicated by the dotted lines 17 and 18. With this arrangement the control of the sustaining mechanism would be reversed from that hereinbefore described for illustration; that is to say, a perforation 17 or 18 would have the effect of damping the strings at its advance end, holding the strings damped throughout its length and undamping the string at its rear end. A similar effect could. be produced by means of a single small perforation to undamp the strings which would then remain undamped until another small perforation redamped them. Such equivalents for the illustrative sustaining perforations 1, 2 and 3, are to be considered (where consistent with the context) as included within the scope of the subjoined claims.

It is to be understood that the disclosure of the drawing is merely diagrammatic and representative of a manner in. which the invention may be applied to special circumstances of individual compositions, whether the note sheets are made by directly transscribing from a musical score or are made from a record of a pianists performance.

Claims.

1 A note sheet for automatic musical instruments comprising note perforations having lengths selected arbitrarily, substantially Without regard for the intended durations of their notes or the tempo of the composition to be played; and a supplemental perforation for continuing the sounding of a plurality of said notes to desired durations, after the said note perforations have ceased to act. 7

2. A note sheet for automatic musical instruments having some of the note perforations thereof curtailed and of insuflicient length to sustain their notes for their respective durations in the composition to be played; and a supplemental sustaining perforation to sustain collectively the notes of said curtailed perforations to the desired duration.

3. A note sheet for automatic musical instruments having some of the note perforations thereof of only substantially the length necessary to sound the notes initially, regardless of the intended duration thereof; and a supplemental sustaining perforation, common to a plurality of said note perforations contributing to sustain the notes thereof to their desired durations.

at. A note sheet for automatic musical instruments comprising note perforations of substantially similar lengths for playing notes intended to have substantially different durations; and separate sustaining perforations for determining the different durations of the notes played by said note perforations.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES F. STODDARD.

Witnesses A. C. KEHR, A. P. CoNRADT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

